The young adult's guide to Baltimore

Friday Five (favorite restaurants to take out of town guests)

I love entertaining visitors and showing them everything Baltimore has to offer. We have so many awesome options for dining and drinks, sights and activities. As the weather gets warmer, more of my out of town friends are venturing to Baltimore and I’m excited to take them to my favorite spots.

Thames Street Oyster House – In my opinion, some of the best seafood in Baltimore. I love taking guests to Fell’s Point to walk along the cobblestone streets, point out Adam’s family brick on the pier and grab a bite to eat. In good weather the waterfront is always lively and bustling which makes it a fun place to be. They have a raw bar, but I prefer the cooked stuff – shrimp salad and fried oysters are two highlights.

Mama’s on the Halfshell– I am constantly having an internal debate as to which Mama’s restaurant I like best. It’s just so hard to choose! The Halfshell is an equally good choice for out of towners looking for their seafood fix, an orange crush and a slightly more upscale experience. And do not skip the mac and cheese it is the bomb.

Faidley’s at Lexington Market – Are you sensing a seafood theme? If you’re guests are looking for an authentic Maryland crab cake then search no further than Faidley’s. Don’t bother with the sides, splurge on the jumbo lump. And definitely walk through Lexington Market afterward for a taste of Baltimore. And because you’re entertaining guests you can even point out that scenes in the Wire were filmed there. Because it’s out of towners, visiting Baltimore so the Wire obviously will come up.

Sobo Café – Our neighborhood favorite! If we don’t have a particular destination in mind, we almost always end up at Sobo – especially if we want to walk. Lunch, dinner, brunch, doesn’t matter – Sobo is our default because they have an appealing menu, good beer selection and wine cocktails and a friendly staff.

Ooh yes! Joe Squared is a great choice – I went recently with some visitors who had kids because of course what kid doesn’t like pizza! I’ve only been to Cafe Hon once and wasn’t the biggest fan but maybe it’s time to give it another try!